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"Te Aroha was our way of reflecting the amount of love this baby has been shown before she arrived and all of the names we were gifted along the way (by various iwi - or tribes)," Ms Ardern said.

On Friday Ms Ardern became New Zealand's first female leader to give birth while in power.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with her partner Clarke Gayford and their new daughter. (Supplied)
(9news)

Although she will become the first elected world leader to take maternity leave - and only the second to have a child while in office - Ms Ardern has played down the significant global attention she's received as a role model.

"I do not want to create a false impression that all women should be super-human or super-women," she said recently.

"I am able to do what I'm doing because I have enormous support around me and it makes me quite privileged."

The pregnancy news late last year came as a surprise to Ms Ardern, who then had to simultaneously deal with both intense negotiations to form a government and morning sickness.

Jacinda Ardern is New Zealand's first leader to give birth while in power. (60 Minutes)Ardern insists it will be business as usual during her six weeks off. (AAP)

Ms Ardern has assured commentators it'll be business as usual during her six weeks off.

While the day-to-day prime-ministerial duties will be handled by the polarising 73-year-old deputy PM Winston Peters, Ms Ardern will still be on call for any major decisions.

"I'll be Prime Minister AND a mum, and Clarke will be 'first man of fishing' and stay-at-home dad," the 37-year-old wrote.